Bhavnath Mahadev Temple: Timings, the Mahashivratri Fair and a Guide

At the very foot of the sacred mountain of Girnar, where the Girnar climb and the great Parikrama begin, stands one of Gujarat's most atmospheric Shiva shrines, the Bhavnath Mahadev Temple. This guide, from the team behind Somnath Dwarka Tour Package, a unit of Experience My India, covers the temple's significance, its timings and aarti, the famous Bhavnath Mahashivratri Fair and how to visit.

About Bhavnath Mahadev Temple

Bhavnath Mahadev Temple is an ancient and revered shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, located at the foothills of Mount Girnar in Bhavnath village, at Girnar Taleti near Junagadh, on the banks of the Suvarnarekha river and close to the Damodar Kund. The temple enshrines Lord Shiva in a self-emanated or Swayambhu, Shivalinga form, said in the Skanda Purana to have appeared spontaneously, which makes it especially sacred to devotees. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Girnar hills and the forest, it is a place of deep peace and spiritual power, where the energy before the self-manifested linga is said to be beyond words. Ancient, holy and beautifully situated, Bhavnath Mahadev is one of the most beloved Shiva temples of Saurashtra and the spiritual heart of the Girnar foothills.

Bhavnath Mahadev Temple at a glance

The significance and legend of Bhavnath Mahadev

Bhavnath Mahadev is wrapped in sacred legend. According to tradition, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were once travelling over the Girnar hills when their divine garment or vastra, fell at the site of the present-day Mrugi Kund, making the spot deeply sacred and the Shivalinga here is said to have emerged of its own accord, a Swayambhu linga. The temple is also revered as a focal point of the Nath and Siddha spiritual traditions and it is believed that the nine Naths and the eighty-four Siddhas invisibly visit the shrine. The sacred Mrugi Kund, a holy tank beside the temple, is where pilgrims and famously the Naga Sadhus, take a ritual dip, believed to bring salvation. All this makes Bhavnath Mahadev not just a temple but a living centre of ancient Shaivite and ascetic devotion, at the foot of a mountain thick with the presence of saints and sages. For the ascetics and yogis of these ancient orders, Bhavnath and the Girnar hills are among the most sacred places on earth and this unbroken thread of living asceticism, stretching back many centuries, gives the temple an atmosphere quite unlike that of an ordinary shrine.

Bhavnath Mahadev Temple timings and aarti

Bhavnath Mahadev Temple is open daily for darshan, generally from about 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM and entry is free. The temple holds its daily aartis at set times, which are a beautiful part of a visit:

The aartis, especially the evening aarti, are deeply atmospheric, with the lamps and the chanting echoing against the Girnar hills as dusk falls. Timings can vary a little with the season and on festival days, so it is worth confirming them locally, particularly if you wish to attend a specific aarti during your visit.

The Bhavnath Mahashivratri Fair, a Mini Kumbh

Bhavnath Mahadev is most famous for the grand Bhavnath Mahashivratri Fair, also called the Bhavnath Fair or the Girnar Mahashivratri Mela, one of the most mystic and spectacular festivals in all of India. Held each year over five days around Mahashivratri, in the Hindu month of Magha, usually in February or March, it draws thousands of Naga Sadhus and over a hundred thousand pilgrims to the foot of Girnar. The highlight comes at midnight on Mahashivratri, when the ascetic Naga Sadhus of the akhadas, their bodies smeared with ash, process in a grand ravedi on elephants, blowing conches and chanting, carrying a decorated idol of Lord Dattatreya and then take a holy plunge, the Shahi Snan, into the sacred Mrugi Kund. This extraordinary spectacle, so reminiscent of the great Kumbh Mela, has earned the fair the name of a Mini Kumbh. For those few days, the quiet temple becomes a vast, intense, mystical gathering of sadhus and seekers. The whole of Bhavnath Taleti fills with camps, stalls, music and the smoke of sacred fires and the air hums with devotion, so that visitors often describe it as one of the most powerful and unforgettable spiritual experiences of their lives.

The Naga Sadhus and the Mrugi Kund

The soul of the Bhavnath Fair is the gathering of the Naga Sadhus, the ash-covered, often naked ascetics of the Dashanami Sampradaya, who renounce the world entirely and are rarely seen in public. They arrive from across India and gather at the akhadas near the temple, among them the ancient Juna Akhada, one of the oldest in the country, which stands right behind the shrine. On the night of Mahashivratri, after their displays of yoga and asceticism, the three akhadas process to the Mrugi Kund, where, by tradition, Lord Shiva himself takes the first dip, followed by the Naga Sadhus in their Shahi Snan and then the other pilgrims. To witness this ancient, mysterious ritual by the light of the full fair is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it is what draws so many to Bhavnath at Mahashivratri. Throughout the fair, free food and lodging are provided to the pilgrims by the many community kitchens and camps, so that all who come are looked after. The sight of the akhadas processing by torchlight, the sound of conches and drums and the ash-smeared sadhus plunging into the kund under the night sky make it a scene that stays with everyone who witnesses it.

Bhavnath and the Girnar pilgrimage

Bhavnath Mahadev is not only a temple in its own right but the gateway to the whole Girnar pilgrimage. It is from here, at Bhavnath Taleti, that the great Girnar Lili Parikrama, the 36 km sacred circuit around the mountain, starts and finishes each year at Kartik Purnima and it is near here that the climb of nearly 9,999 steps up to the Dattatreya temple at the Girnar summit begins. So a visit to Bhavnath Mahadev is the natural first step of any Girnar journey, whether you come simply for the temple and its aarti, to join the Parikrama or to climb the sacred mountain. Many pilgrims take darshan at Bhavnath before setting out on the climb or the circuit.

How to reach Bhavnath Mahadev Temple

Bhavnath Mahadev Temple is at Bhavnath, Girnar Taleti, about 5 to 8 km from Junagadh city, easily reached by auto rickshaw or taxi. Junagadh itself is well connected: the nearest major railway station is Junagadh Junction and the city is reachable by road from across Saurashtra, including from Somnath, about 100 km away and Gir, about 60 km away. Our Junagadh to Girnar and Somnath to Girnar distance guides cover the routes and a Somnath Dwarka taxi service can bring you to the temple as part of a wider tour.

Tips for visiting Bhavnath Mahadev Temple

A few pointers make your visit to the temple better:

• Dress modestly and traditionally, covering the shoulders and legs, out of respect at this sacred shrine.

• Time your visit for one of the aartis, especially the deeply atmospheric evening aarti at about 7:00 PM.

• Visit the sacred Mrugi Kund beside the temple, central to its legend and to the Mahashivratri fair's holy dip.

• If you can, come during the Bhavnath Mahashivratri Fair to witness the Naga Sadhus and the Mini Kumbh.

• The temple has wheelchair-accessible entrance, parking and restroom facilities for visitors who need them.

• Combine the temple with the Girnar climb or the great Parikrama, which both begin here at Bhavnath Taleti.

Plan your Junagadh trip

Experience My India can plan a Saurashtra trip that includes Bhavnath Mahadev and Junagadh along with the temples and the safari. Combine the temple with the Girnar climb, Uparkot Fort and Mahabat Maqbara, add a Gir lion safari and the Somnath temple, book Somnath Dwarka hotels and let the Experience My India Somnath Dwarka tour packages or the wider Gujarat tour packages include Junagadh and the region in your itinerary. You can also extend the trip up the coast to Dwarka for a fuller journey.

Related guides

To plan the rest of your Saurashtra trip, these related guides help:

Plan your visit

Experience My India can arrange your Junagadh and Bhavnath Mahadev trip. Browse more travel guides, message us on WhatsApp or call +91 73006 20809.